DeanCast

In this episode of DeanCast, we sit down with Dr. Margaret Saha, Chancellor Professor of Applied Science at William & Mary, to explore how living systems adapt, heal, and thrive in an unpredictable world. From her unconventional journey studying history to developmental biology, Margaret shares how a fascination with discovery led her to question how organisms maintain robustness and plasticit...

In this episode of DeanCast , host Dean Schmidt sits down with experimental particle physicist Dr. Tricia Vahle to explore one of the universe’s most puzzling phenomena: neutrinos.  From massive underground detectors to international collaborations decades in the making, Vahle shares how scientists are uncovering clues on how neutrinos change identity and may even break our current fundamental und...

In this episode of DeanCast , we explore the evolvingintersection of AI and cybersecurity with Dr. Yue “Luna” Xiao, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at William & Mary. Drawing on her experience in both academia and industry, Dr. Xiao examines how AI is transforming the way we identify software vulnerabilities – while simultaneously introducing new risks that demand urgent attention. Fro...

In this episode of DeanCast , we sit down with Tucker Peters ’28, a finance and government double major and president of William & Mary’s AI Club. Tucker shares how an investment in Virgin Galactic when he was in 8th grade sparked his interest in markets, how leadership in Model UN shaped his approach to incentives and engagement, and why he believes curiosity is the most important skill stude...

In this episode of DeanCast , Associate Professor of Data Science Dr. Cristiano Fanelli explores what happens when artificial intelligence meets the deepest questions in physics. Describing himself as a “centaur”—half physicist, half data scientist—Fanelli shares his journey from contributing to the Higgs boson discovery to leading cutting-edge research that uses AI to probe the origins of mass an...

In this episode of DeanCast , we sit down with Dr. Justin Stevens, Associate Professor of Physics and spokesperson for the international GlueX Collaboration. Justin explains how GlueX uses high-energy photon beams to probe the strong nuclear force, search for exotic hadrons, and reveal new structures of quarks and gluons. He also shares how large-scale, international collaborations drive discovery...

In this episode of DeanCast , we sit down with Andrew Yowell, a sophomore at William & Mary studying economics and serving as Vice President of the AI Club. Andrew shares how a spirit of curiosity and a willingness to “learn by doing” have shaped his journey - from implementing accessible AI tools in commercial real estate to helping build one of W&M's fastest growing student organizations...

In this episode of DeanCast , we sit down with Professor Evgenia Smirni, Chair of William & Mary’s Department of Computer Science, to explore the department’s extraordinary rise in national prominence. From a dramatic 28-place leap in the U.S. News & World Report rankings to groundbreaking faculty hires in AI, cybersecurity, and robotics, Evgenia shares how strategic growth, innovative tea...

In this episode of DeanCast , Dean Schmidt sits down with Dr. Dan Runfola, Chair of Data Science at William & Mary, to explore the fascinating intersection of satellites, artificial intelligence, and human well-being. From mapping poverty from space to modeling thousands of online personalities, Dan’s work asks a powerful question: what makes humans thrive ? They discuss how a childhood art co...

In this episode of DeanCast , we sit down with Dr. Denys Poshyvanyk, Chancellor Professor of Computer Science at William & Mary, whose pioneering research bridges AI and software engineering. From early skepticism about machine learning to the dawn of self-repairing code, Denys shares how AI is transforming how developers debug, test, and trust their tools and the future of teaching computer s...